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Housing in spotlight across Frankston and the Peninsula

Last week the Committee was fortunate to participate in multiple housing and homelessness forums with Federal and State Housing Ministers in Frankston City, Mornington and Rosebud.

On 21 November, the Committee co-hosted the Dunkley Housing Forum, co-ordinated and organised by the Federal Member for Dunkley, Jodie Belyea MP. Joining the conversation and addressing community housing providers, developers, and local government officials were:

  • Federal Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Cities; the Hon. Clare O'Neil MP
  • Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness; Josh Burns MP
  • Victorian Minister for Planning and Attorney-General; the Hon. Sonya Kilkenny MP
  • Victorian Minister for Housing and Water; the Hon. Harriet Shing MLC
  • Frankston City Council Mayor, Cr Kris Bolam

The Federal Minister provided information on how Community Housing Providers (CHP's), developers and local government can collaborate and partner with each other and apply for funding in the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) or the NHIF (National Housing Infrastructure Fund) - and other programs.

Ministers Kilkenny and Shing explained some of the legislation that the Victorian Government had implemented to reduce reglatory barriers that were previously halting or delaying housing projects. Frankston City Mayor, Cr Kris Bolam, then talked to some of the work the local government had done to reduce red tape in the planning permit space. This work has been complemented by Frankston City Council's highly commended Frankston Metropolitan Activity Centre (FMAC) planning scheme overlay, which has provided significant framework and guidance for developers within the city centre.

CEO Josh Sinclair moderated a panel discussion with decision-makers to highlight some of the work government had already tried to do to make it easier for projects to get off the ground. Clearly, there are opportunities for providers and developers to attract federal funding for projects (particularly ones of scale). The barriers have been eased in many areas for developers to get on with things, but there is still some work to do in this space to get things moving even more quickly.

Only collaboration between those with interests and the funding to back it up will turn these projects 

A day earlier, the Committee CEO was pleased to participate in two forums and roundtables with the Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness; Josh Burns MP. 

In Mornington, CFMP CEO Josh Sinclair addressed attendees at the Southern Women's Action Network (SWAN) forum with crisis support providers, frontline workers and representatives from Homes Victoria. The Committee's contribution centred around an ongoing disparity in funding on housing and frontline support compared with other comparable parts of Victoria, and the region's lack of funding success in the Victorian Government's Big Housing Build program.

In the afternoon, the Committee's CEO attended a roundtable discussion with Josh Burns facilitate by the Federal Member for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie MP. This forum provided frontline workers and organisations with skin in the game to put question to Josh directly, and get direct feedback on some of the ways the Commonwealth can help contribute financially. 

What was clear is that housing challenges in the shire are different to the challenges Frankston faces - so the responses must be different. Community Housing Providers are more likely to set up in Frankston and partner with developers for federal funding. Across the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, that's far less likely. This is due to a range of issues; including planning scheme challenges, the small size and scale of developments, a severe lack of political will to deliver anything south of Frankston, and protection of the green wedge. 

But, tailored solutions are possible - we just need the government to back those projects. 

These forums provided our region with the best opportunity to illustrate why our housing challenges are different to the rest of Metropolitan Melbourne. Our housing crisis and our housing challenges are regional ones, but we're only provided the tools of inner city Melbourne to address them.

Thank you to Jodie Belyea for bringing key decision-makers in the Housing and Planning portfolios down to our region for a day of information, advice, feedback, and importantly - collaboration between the providers offering support and the developers looking to build in Frankston.

Thank you to Zoe McKenzie for hosting Josh Burns for a homelessness roundtable in Rosebud which provided some actionable takeaways from community groups who were present for the conversation. Thank you also to the Southern Women's Action Network for hosting the morning session in Mornington with Josh.

Housing continues to be the number one issue of our community and our membership, and we'll always use our position as the peak advocacy body for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula to create opportunities like these and strongly advocate for outcomes that we deserve.